


Dignity

by ferix79



Series: Nightmares [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst, Angst and Tragedy, Character Death In Dream, Dreams, Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest Spoilers, Gender Neutral Corrin/Kamui, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Post-Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-06-08 13:47:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6857491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ferix79/pseuds/ferix79
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in Revelations. After the war is over and everyone's had their happy ending, Leo dreams of what could have been.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dignity

**Author's Note:**

> For Leokumi week 2k16, using the last day's prompt 'Dignity'. Partially inspired by [this comic on tumblr.](http://fimyuan.tumblr.com/post/144373173090/allow-him-the-dignity-of-his-choice-for)
> 
>  

Leo dreamt of victory, of a long battle well fought against an evil enemy. But Takumi was not the enemy he suspected. 

“I have dreamt of nothing but ending you, and now the time has come.” Takumi snarled, crouching low and vicious with his bow, “I shall cherish the sound of the life leaving your body for all eternity!” The person that was not—could not be— Takumi cackled, but something was not right. He sounded…not all himself, like he was ripping apart at the seams. 

Leo recoiled at the words, flabbergasted that Takumi—even if this thing wasn’t Takumi—would ever say that to his family. The horrors only continued as he, locked in his own body that would not listen to his wills, readied a spell. It only took one shot of mjölnir to bring the archer to his knees. 

Afterwards he spoke to Takumi, still with words that were not his. Takumi— _his_ Takumi was not rude, not on purpose, anyway. Apparently, he and Corrin had captured Sakura, and he was using it as a ploy to get Takumi to hand himself over. Why would they need to capture Sakura, anyway?

At the mention of his sister, Takumi lost it. There was no way they would negotiate themselves out of this predicament, now. 

“Don’t touch me! Don’t lay your filthy Nohrian hands on me!” The Hoshidan prince shouted, his tone and expression quickly approaching hysterical, “I mean it, don’t come near me!” Ever so slowly, Takumi began to shuffle backwards towards the wall of the battlements, so slow that Leo barely even noticed it. 

Still, he could barely get his head wrapped around the situation. Why was Takumi, one of the gentlest souls he knew, screaming obscenities at Corrin and himself, as if they’d committed some atrocity?

“We could have been a family!” The words were shouted so loud that they echoed against the tower behind them. Takumi’s throat must have been raw by now, Leo thought, anxiously chewing on his lip. Why were they not a family? What had Corrin, everyone…what had he done, to bring about such a reality?

Takumi was alternating between what Leo could best describe as angry hyperventilation and sobbing, and he felt as if his heart was being physically ripped out of his chest. He wanted to reach out, tell him that this feeling would pass, but his feet remained firmly planted. Corrin was trying to salvage the situation, but their words fell on deaf ears. 

Takumi started stumbling over his words, switching between a mumble and a nearly indecipherable shout as he lost his balance and careened backwards, back slamming against the battlements. Suddenly, the prince stilled, his voice returning to a much more even, smooth—

When the dark, sickening purple energy began to seep out of the Hoshidan prince’s entire being, Leo knew that this was already a lost cause. He could understand Takumi’s speech now, but the words made no sense. His mind glazed over, in shock from seeing his beloved possessed. 

As Leo gazed upon Takumi standing tall and proud, and precariously close to the edge of the battlements, he felt his mind dissociate from his body. He was watching the scene play out like some kind of sick parody, and he just couldn’t stop the ringing in his ears as he watched Takumi’s head begin to tip backwards and—

Takumi vanished from the battlements before he could even blink, but there was no time to mourn because when he did blink they were on a different battlefield, and the feeling of victory had returned. It wasn’t the same, now. It was bitter and twisted and heavy with guilt, and Leo knew he would get no satisfaction, no relief out of this victory. 

_“It is a monster making a puppet of my corpse…I can not truly be free while my body is imprisoned.”_

The castle around them was collapsing, time and space themselves tearing apart. But the worst part? 

_“Please…I need you to destroy my body.”_

It was his vines closing around Takumi’ throat and crushing his chest. 

_“I need you to set me free.”_

The demon that had overtaken Takumi’s body released an inhuman screech, and he couldn’t see through the tears in his eyes. Afterward, as he stood with his siblings, gazing down at Takumi’s…Takumi’s corpse, a miraculous breeze blew by. 

All he could smell, all he knew was Takumi. The sound of his voice, the feel of his hair between his fingers, the sweet, honey color of his eyes. 

_“Th…thank you…”_

Leo woke with a fright, grabbing for his lover where there was nothing but air. He almost broke down right then and there—had it all been true? Was his life he remembered, his love with Takumi all really a sham? 

“…Leo?” A quiet voice brought him out of his inner tumult. With a glance to his left he spotted Takumi sitting on the window seat of their room, looking out on the city below. 

He tried to respond to his lover’s inquiry, but his voice caught in his throat, a half-choked sob was all he could manage. Takumi rose at the noise, brows furrowing as he intended to stride right back to bed and comfort Leo, but the Nohrian was quicker than him. 

“Please,” Leo gasped out, now standing in front of Takumi, a shaking hand resting on the shorter prince’s chest, “Just…sit. For now, just be with me.” Confusion and concern painted Takumi’s features, but he complied nonetheless. He took Leo by both hands and slowly sat back against the window, guiding the Nohrian to lie down in his lap. Takumi wanted to say something, Leo could tell, but let silence stretch between them instead. Honestly, he was glad for the time to sort out his thoughts. 

“Takumi?” he finally said, once his voice returned to him.

“Yes?”

“You know I love you, don’t you?” Immediately, a blush colored the Hoshidan’s cheeks, but Leo did not have the will or desire to tease him about it now. 

“Yeah, I-I do,” he was proud to say he only stumbled a bit, as he reached a hand down to card his fingers through Leo’s fine hair, “You’re actually really good at letting me know that. It’s one of your better traits.” 

He got a relieved chuckle out of Leo for that, the Nohrian prince reaching up to grab his other hand. He felt a kiss pressed to his palm. “And we’re a family?” Leo continued. 

Takumi took a firm hold of Leo’s hand, as if squeezing harder would get the message across better. “Always.” 

Finally, Takumi felt some of the tension flood out of Leo’s body. “Good…that’s all I wanted to know.” 

They sat in silence for a few moments more, Leo’s eyes drifting closed as Takumi continued to his head. Takumi tried to resist, to keep the comfortable silence, but the curiosity was killing him. 

“So, what brought this on all of the sudden?” Takumi asked. Tension filled the body below him once more, and he kicked himself internally. Way to ruin a moment, he thought. 

“I had a dream…a nightmare. That we were enemies,” Leo said, and Takumi’s not too surprised. It was all too close to becoming their reality, at one point, “And I was the one that killed you.” 

The hand working through Leo’s hair stopped. _That_ was not what he was expecting. “Wow, can you tone it down a little, Mr. Dark Mage?” 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Leo’s laugh was a bit forced, but he continued on, “But I think…I think in the end I was glad that I was the one who did it,” he said, and even though the dream was still so fresh in his mind, he could say it with certainty, “Because we were not enemies, in the end. We were just…friends that never got to meet. And I did you a favor in the end, I would like to think.” 

“And what was that?” Leo’s eyes are opened now, gazing up, upside down into Takumi’s. 

“I gave you the chance to die with dignity.” Takumi’s breath hitched and he broke eye contact with Leo. The Nohrian cringed; he felt bad for laying all this on him. Perhaps it had been too much. 

More silence filled the space between them, until Takumi exhaled. 

“It’s interesting, you know.” Leo shifted slightly, looking up to find Takumi’s gaze trained on the city below. “I dreamt you had become King of Nohr.” 

Leo pulled himself up from Takumi’s lap, moving to sit directly across from him. “Interesting indeed. What happened to Xander?”

“I don’t know; never saw him in the crowd.” 

“And my queen?” 

“Couldn’t tell you,” Takumi snapped his gaze back to Leo’s, “I only had eyes for you…” 

They drifted closer like it was as natural as breathing, like they couldn’t exist without the other there to ground them. “My king,” Takumi mumbled when their lips parted. They relaxed back into their respective sides, though never breaking eye contact. 

“I think we’d make great kings, together,” Lao declared, as if he’d considered all the pros and cons already. Takumi laughed, genuine for the first time that evening. 

“Do you really?”

“Well…I’m sure you’d make a great father to our children.” 

Takumi snorted at his absurdity, even if he knew it to be true. “You’re insufferable,” he gave Leo a playful shove before standing and padding his way back over to their bed. The faint glowing lights of the city were beautiful, but so was Takumi, Leo thought, and the chance to fall asleep in his lover’s arms again was all too inviting.

**Author's Note:**

> This is eventually going to be part of a series I'm writing featuring dreams/nightmares from all the royal couples. Stay tuned for more.
> 
> [My tumblr](http://ferix-writes.tumblr.com/)


End file.
